Jozo Matovac

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Jozo Izaija Matovac

| clubs1 = BK Häcken

| birth_place = Sweden

| death_date =

| death_place =

| height =

| currentclub =

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| goals1 =

| youthclubs1 = Gunnilse IS

| youthyears1 =

| caps3 =

| years1 = 1992–1994

| caps1 =

| nationalteam-update =

| youthclubs2 =

| image_size =

| alt =

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| fullname = Jozo Izaija Matovac

| position = Defender

| years2 = 1995–1998

| nationalgoals1 = 0

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1970|5|22|df=yes}}

| image =

| nationalgoals2 = 0

| years4 = 2000–2002

| caps4 =

| nationalyears1 = 1991

| goals4 =

| nationalcaps1 = 1

| clubs2 = Örgryte IS

| nationalteam1 = Sweden U21

| nationalyears2 = 1996–1997

| nationalteam2 = Sweden B

| nationalcaps2 = 2

| club-update =

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| goals2 =

| years3 = 1998–2000

| clubs3 = Aalborg BK

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| totalgoals =

| clubs4 = Helsingborgs IF

| totalcaps =

| nationalyears3 = 1997–2001

| nationalteam3 = Sweden

| nationalcaps3 = 9

| nationalgoals3 = 1

}}

Jozo Izaija Matovac (born 22 May 1970) is a Swedish former professional footballer who played as defender. He represented BK Häcken, Örgryte IS, Aalborg BK, and Helsingborgs IF during a career that spanned between 1992 and 2002. A full international between 1997 and 2001, he won nine caps for the Sweden national team.

Club career

Matovac played youth football for Gunnilse IS before signing with BK Häcken.{{Cite web|last=Klinteberg|first=Martin|date=2020-05-24|title=AOH gratulerar Jozo Matovac…|url=https://www.alltomhif.se/aoh-gratulerar-jozo-matovac/|access-date=2020-12-10|website=Allt Om HIF|language=sv-SE}} In 1995 he signed with Örgryte IS where he was considered one of Allsvenskan's best centre backs. He signed with the Danish Superliga club Aalborg BK in 1998, before returning to Swedish football in 2000 as a replacement at Helsingborgs IF for the departed Andreas Jakobsson.{{Cite web|title=SvenskaFans|url=https://www.svenskafans.com/fotboll/hif/42|access-date=2020-12-10|website=www.svenskafans.com|language=en}} In 2000, Matovac helped the team qualify for the 2000–2001 UEFA Champions League in which he participated in all six group stage games.{{Cite web|title=Jozo Matovac|url=https://www.worldfootball.net/player_summary/jozo-matovac/|access-date=2020-12-10|website=worldfootball.net|language=en}} In 2002, he retired from professional football following a hip injury.{{Cite web|date=2002-09-02|title=Matovac tvingas sluta spela fotboll|url=https://www.dn.se/sport/fotboll/matovac-tvingas-sluta-spela-fotboll/|access-date=2020-12-10|website=Dagens Nyheter|language=sv}}

International career

Matovac made his full international debut for Sweden on 9 February 1997 in a King's Cup game against Romania in which he also scored his first international goal as Sweden won 2–0.{{Cite web|title=Jozo Matovac - Spelarstatistik - Svensk fotboll|url=https://www.svenskfotboll.se/spelarfakta/jozo-matovac/d6d9a8a5-e9f7-49ee-9886-f814353aa85b|access-date=2020-12-10|website=www.svenskfotboll.se.|language=sv|archive-date=27 October 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221027073451/https://www.svenskfotboll.se/spelarfakta/jozo-matovac/d6d9a8a5-e9f7-49ee-9886-f814353aa85b/|url-status=dead}} He made his competitive international debut for Sweden in a 1998 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Estonia, playing the full 90 minutes as centre back alongside Patrik Andersson as Sweden won 1–0.{{Cite web|title=Sverige - Estland - Matchfakta - Svensk fotboll|url=https://www.svenskfotboll.se/matchfakta/sverige-estland-landskamper-herr-senior/1569698|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210904192520/https://www.svenskfotboll.se/matchfakta/sverige-estland-landskamper-herr-senior/1569698/|url-status=dead|archive-date=4 September 2021|access-date=2020-12-10|website=www.svenskfotboll.se|language=sv}} He won his ninth and final cap in a 2002 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Moldova, again playing alongside Patrik Andersson at centre back.{{Cite web|title=Moldavien - Sverige - Matchfakta - Svensk fotboll|url=https://www.svenskfotboll.se/matchfakta/moldavien-sverige-landskamper-herr-senior/1570045|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220722135238/https://www.svenskfotboll.se/matchfakta/moldavien-sverige-landskamper-herr-senior/1570045/|url-status=dead|archive-date=22 July 2022|access-date=2020-12-10|website=www.svenskfotboll.se|language=sv}}

Personal life

Matovac was born in Sweden to Croatian parents.{{Cite web |last=Radio |first=Sveriges |title="En fantastisk prestation av Kroatien" - P4 Väst |url=https://sverigesradio.se/artikel/6997595 |access-date=2020-12-10 |website=sverigesradio.se |date=12 July 2018 |language=sv}}

Career statistics

= International =

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" \|+Appearances and goals by national team and year !National team !Year !Apps !Goals
rowspan="5" \|Sweden \|1997 \|3 \|1
1998 \|1 \|0
1999 \|0 \|0
2000 \|0 \|0
2001 \|5 \|0
colspan="2" \|Total !9 !1

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"

|+Appearances and goals by national team and year

!National team

!Year

!Apps

!Goals

rowspan="5" |Sweden

|1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

colspan="2" |Total

:Scores and results list Sweden's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Matovac goal.

class="wikitable sortable"

|+List of international goals scored by Jozo Matovac

! scope="col" |No.

! scope="col" |Date

! scope="col" |Venue

! scope="col" |Opponent

! scope="col" |Score

! scope="col" |Result

! scope="col" |Competition

! scope="col" class="unsortable" |{{Abbr|Ref.|References}}

align="center" |1

|9 February 1997

|National Stadium, Bangkok, Thailand

|{{fb|ROM}}

| align="center" |2–0

|1997 King's Cup

|{{Cite web|title=Rumänien - Sverige - Matchfakta - Svensk fotboll|url=https://www.svenskfotboll.se/matchfakta/rumanien-sverige-landskamper-herr-senior/1569601|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210207214820/https://www.svenskfotboll.se/matchfakta/rumanien-sverige-landskamper-herr-senior/1569601/|url-status=dead|archive-date=7 February 2021|access-date=2020-12-10|website=www.svenskfotboll.se|language=sv}}